Hello, Baker!

Well, macaroons called for four egg whites and I couldn’t possibly let the yolks go to waste! I searched far and wide for a recipe that called for egg yolks in hopes of finding some deliciously sinful dessert that required four yolks or at least two. Considering I didn’t want the yolks to sit out forever and become infested with salmonella, I quickly gave up searching for recipes on google and just settled on using Recipezaar’s lovely filter.

I don’t know what brilliant person decided that Recipezaar needed a filter, but it was an incredibly genius idea. I tend to go to that site because their filter has so many options that it makes it so easy to find what you’re looking for. All I had to do was search by ingredient (egg yolks) and category (dessert) and VOILA! I found a recipe that I liked. Now this recipe didn’t actually even use as many egg yolks as I liked, but HEY, the picture looked good and all the reviews made me want to try it even more so I caved on this recipe.

Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies

(Makes about 3 dozen cookies.)

• 1 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, and salt until combined, then set aside.
2. In an electric mixer, blend butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg yolk and blend until well combined.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended.
5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight. (Dough can also be frozen up to a month).
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
7. Roll out dough, half at a time, to about 1/8 inch thick
8. Cut with cookie cutter and place cookies two inches apart on baking sheets.
9. Sprinkle with sugar. (optional)
10. Bake 7-8 minutes or until firm and just beginning to darken at edges.

You can clearly see that I am not extremely amazing at icing cookies. In fact, this was technically my first time if you ignore all the times I cheated and used the prepackaged frosting in those little piping pouches that you get at the grocery store when helping to decorate sugar cookies (I never did try to decorate them very well at least).

Anyways, this recipe comes from Martha Stewart and she even has a video to watch so you can see how it’s all done! Check it all out here!

Royal Icing

• 1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder OR 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon extract (I used lemon)

1. In an electric mixer, combine sugar and meringue powder/egg whites.
2. Meringue powder only: Mix on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water.
3. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.
4. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details.

Now, I am by no means an expert at icing cookies, but if you’re too lazy to watch Martha Stewart’s video on it, then maybe you’ll at least read what I did.

Using a #2 or #3 decorating tip, fill a piping bag with icing (the thicker version before adding more water). Make sure that it isn’t so thick that it’s too difficult to pipe because that would be silly. Carefully make an outline around your cookie using the thicker icing. Let sit for about 5 minutes in order to harden.

Take leftover royal icing and add more water in order to thin it out. Make it about the same consistency as a thick milkshake. You don’t want it too watery. Fill another piping bag with thin icing and fill the cookies. You don’t have to fill it up all the way because you can just add some in the center and then spread it out using a toothpick. Let cookies sit out for a while or refrigerate in order for the icing to harden. THAT’S ALL.

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